I felt the same way at first. But letting it age out completely chanes the flavor profile... Personally I think it's 100x better now. I gave it out at Christmas gifts to friends last year along with wine bottles of skeeter pee and told people not to open the mead for 8+ months. Around last month I started getting calls from friends being like 'omg this is delicious'. I didn't like it when I tasted it during bottling do I only kept 3 bottles... After tasting it a couple weeks ago I really wish I kept more haha.
Joe's Quick Grape Mead
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I felt the same way at first. But letting it age out completely chanes the flavor profile... Personally I think it's 100x better now. I gave it out at Christmas gifts to friends last year along with wine bottles of skeeter pee and told people not to open the mead for 8+ months. Around last month I started getting calls from friends being like 'omg this is delicious'. I didn't like it when I tasted it during bottling do I only kept 3 bottles... After tasting it a couple weeks ago I really wish I kept more haha.
Goofynewfie
Well-Known Member
jgilmour said:
I completely agree. At bottling I wasnt crazy about it, but 3 months later and what a difference. Cant even taste the welches
Kampo
Well-Known Member
any ever tried this and left it dry?
Goofynewfie
Well-Known Member
Yes, it is really good after about 2 months
Kampo
Well-Known Member
so guessing its would taste simlar but prolly less foxy to a straight concord dry wine?
I made a simple concord wine a few months ago, and after 4 months (only 1 of the 5 bottles made it past month 2 unfortionally) it was devine still very in your face but I used 3 cans of concentrate and 1 pound of surgar for a gallon lol. think for this would do for 3 gallons 6 cans of concentrate and 6lb of honey
Goofynewfie
Well-Known Member
It it is dry, but for some reason after 2 months a lot of the Concorde taste is gone. the way that my wife described it is that it didn't taste so "welch-ey"
Well mead is expensive due to the honey used. 3# is roughly 10 dollars and a 5 gallon would cost 60-70 dollars. But other than that I can't say since I haven't tasted the batch I've made yet.
Just read through this whole thread... I'm going to make this for my first mead, I'm hoping SWMBO will like this. I've given her some commercial meads before that she really liked so I'm thinking this will be up her alley.
My main question is how important is fermentation temperature control for this? I have a temp controlled ferm chamber that I use for 5 gallon beer batches, but if i can get away with it I'd rather just leave this is our pantry where the air temp is a pretty constant 75F. Are off-flavors as big of a concern with this mead as they would be with a beer?
My main question is how important is fermentation temperature control for this? I have a temp controlled ferm chamber that I use for 5 gallon beer batches, but if i can get away with it I'd rather just leave this is our pantry where the air temp is a pretty constant 75F. Are off-flavors as big of a concern with this mead as they would be with a beer?
huesmann
Well-Known Member
With EC-1118 you will have no temperature issues.
So I just started this recipe last night and tried to mix the honey in the grape juice before putting it my in 1 gallon car boy but it seems that all if not a large majority of the honey has settled on the bottom. Is this normal/ what should I do to residents the honey? This is only my 2nd mead and I didn't have this problem with the jaom. Thanks guys!
rideincircles
Well-Known Member
You won't be having any issues. I didn't see it with mine, but have seen it in JAOM and the fermentation will plow straight through it. My friends 3 gallon batch of JAOM was a half and half mixture of water and honey and is now totally clear after primary fermentation.
I do wonder how this affects aeration, but everything should be okay.
I do wonder how this affects aeration, but everything should be okay.
cheesecake
Well-Known Member
i will be making a batch of this soon. i cant wait
So, I made a gallon of this about a year ago. I couldnt stand it when I bottled it. It was hot with alcohol, not good tasting at all. I opened a bottle tonight, holy crap. It's awesome. I can actually taste the honey I used in it. I will be making this again and again!
I made a 1 gallon batch of this back in April. I didn't back sweeten or anything just added the original ingredients and let it go. I'm far from a mead connoisseur but it was drinkable. I'll leave a bottle or two to age further.
This was made from Welschs and New Zealand Clove honey
This was made from Welschs and New Zealand Clove honey
I reached terminal gravity yesterday with my Joe's Quick Grape Pyment and in my haste decided to rack onto K sorbate and Camden. Will this be able to be aged or will the fact that the yeast are no longer operative keep this from mellowing out and maturing? It has only been about 10 days since pitch. Also I plan to backsweeten.
flb_78
Member
Just made up a batch of this today. This is only my 2nd time to brew an alcoholic beverage. I started a JAOM about 2 weeks ago that's bubbling away.
DaveVanO
Well-Known Member
Anyone want to clarify the steps to get this going before 1st fermentation and then to secondary. when to add what. Thanks, would be much appreciated. Looking to make this after my JAOM. Also a great recipe that some may want to see
(Could even PM me the steps. I know it sounds funny, but I am new to meadmaking and this recipe along with JAOM was given to me as some easy good recipes to follow)
EDIT: Without thinking I posted this. But could still use simple directions. Just mix water+Honey+Welch's into the carboy. Then sprinkle yeast. Recommend to make a starter? And then backsweeten with the 6oz amounts and campden etc to stop the fermentation and backsweeten? Thanks
(Could even PM me the steps. I know it sounds funny, but I am new to meadmaking and this recipe along with JAOM was given to me as some easy good recipes to follow)
EDIT: Without thinking I posted this. But could still use simple directions. Just mix water+Honey+Welch's into the carboy. Then sprinkle yeast. Recommend to make a starter? And then backsweeten with the 6oz amounts and campden etc to stop the fermentation and backsweeten? Thanks
I never did wait on the clearing aspect of JQGM - if you want it to clear faster - maybe store it at low temps (34- 40) or use gelatin is what I have read.
Just wanted to update on my mead that was bottled 11/11/11. I had some friends crack open a bottle of it today, and they are all messaging me saying how great it is. I only have 2 bottles left that I kept for myself! 
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Just wanted to update on my mead that was bottled 11/11/11. I had some friends crack open a bottle of it today, and they are all messaging me saying how great it is. I only have 2 bottles left that I kept for myself!
Make moar!!!!
It's pretty good young, but after a year or two of aging, it is really nice!!
What is this nasty stuff?!? Some quick background: I made a 1 gallon batch of this exactly according to the recipe. After I racked it into another gallon jug to back sweeten, I added 1 gallon of Trader Joes Blackberry Crush right to the yeast slurry and added the honey. This nasty stuff formed within two days. I was hopping it would sink but after 2 months, it hasn't. I decided yesterday to rack off the mead that was under this. It was crystal clear and tasted fine(but real hot). I'm going to bottle this and age it to see how it comes out but is this some sort of infection? This is only my 3rd mead and my first time adding juice on top of a yeast slurry. Thanks guys!!
DaveVanO
Well-Known Member
Question: I made a gallon of this on 1/11. Didnt get the SG but, last night I tested the gravity and it was 1.000. So its finished after a week. Just add the 6oz's of ingredients to a secondary, rack onto the stuff, Then shake to stir it up? then let it sit for longer. Sounds about right? Is fermentation finished and this addition is just to backsweeten?
I made this back in September (I think). I lost my notes but remember fermenting for 5 weeks. I also remember using 3 lbs of honey instead of 2.....oops! I bottled on 11/2/12 and just cracked a bottle open. it tastes great and I can't wait to make it again! This time I will reduce the honey.
rowsdower44
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I have an empty carboy sitting around and some spare EC1118 to use. I think I will mix up a batch of this next week.
Made a variation of this today. I say variation since there's no clover honey nor Welch's grape juice in Israel. We don't have Lalvin yeasts too but I brought some EC-1118 and D47 home with me from my trip in the US last year.
So anyway my ingredients list was:
1 kilogram citrus honey
2 liters organic grape juice
1.5 liters reverse osmosis water (was supposed to put 1 liter but I'm stupid)
5 grams Lalvin EC-1118
1 tsp Fermaid-K
Original gravity was way lower than I expected (1.062), possibly because I used more water than needed. I may add some more grape juice and honey later on during fermentation.
Hope this turns out well. Here's two pics, first all the ingredients, then the jug in my fermentation chamber (next to Best Laid Plans munich stout on the left and Bee Cave Hefeweizen on the right):
So anyway my ingredients list was:
1 kilogram citrus honey
2 liters organic grape juice
1.5 liters reverse osmosis water (was supposed to put 1 liter but I'm stupid)
5 grams Lalvin EC-1118
1 tsp Fermaid-K
Original gravity was way lower than I expected (1.062), possibly because I used more water than needed. I may add some more grape juice and honey later on during fermentation.
Hope this turns out well. Here's two pics, first all the ingredients, then the jug in my fermentation chamber (next to Best Laid Plans munich stout on the left and Bee Cave Hefeweizen on the right):
Goofynewfie
Well-Known Member
made a variant of this today, substituted Ocean Spray mixed berry instead of the Welch's Concord. the mixed berry had grape ,strawberry , blackberry, cranberry and apple juices. also use kv1 116 instead
DaveVanO
Well-Known Member
Anyone know if this will clear or not? My grape one seems like it wont clear, even with finings
Goofynewfie
Well-Known Member
If it was me I would try pectic enzyme, but this is just a guess
DaveVanO
Well-Known Member
My thing is, i used sparkloid. Its been aging for a little bit, I put sparkloid in it like 2 weeks ago. It is a little bit clear when I hold it up to light. but normally it isnt. And the one i made with white concord cherry cleared nicely. but seemed to have stopped also. Might just bottle them unclear and let it go.
flb_78
Member
Im not a wine drinker, but I wanted to try this out. It's fairly sweet to me, I like it. I should really find out how the ABV is, but it doesn't burn too bad as it goes down.
